ISS, serious doubts

2002/09/27 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Astronautika

The International Space Station can be temporarily suspended because the Russians have no money to build more Soiuz ships carrying astronauts. "We are desperate," said Valery Riumin, head of the construction company, because "we have no money to build more boats." "The construction of a spacecraft lasts two years. If it is not started to work immediately, in 2004 astronauts will not be able to travel to the station," he added.

The International Space Station was thought to work together the 7 astronauts, but today there are only 3 because there is no space to transport more in space ships. The projects of the X-33 and X-34 ships to be built by NASA were suspended last year and Russian ferries and Soiuz vessels are currently used to transport and bring astronauts. Soiuz containers can remain tied to the station for 6 months and in case of any incidence they can be used as emergency vehicles. Ferries, for their part, can only last three weeks to make any mission viable with little time. Therefore, without Soiuz, the trips to the station were finished.

Riumin has sent a letter to his U.S. member in the hope that the Russian government will expand aid by publicizing the financing problems of the Russians. "I may choose to donate money to avoid an international scandal, although I am almost ceded," he said.

NASA has asked the Russian Space Agency to comply with the commitments made. However, he does not have much legitimacy to make the requirements, since he himself has reduced the budgets in the last two years.